James Deen, redux

So I just read this interview with James Deen (by the lovely, and incredibly talented*, Aurora Snow). It’s not perfect. He does come off a bit of an ass. And it does sound to me like there are a couple of non-denial denials in there, for the sake of protecting him legally. But I will say this: he pretty much knocked the cover off the ball.

I would have liked for him not to impugn Stoya’s motives, and I would have liked for him not to also have said mean things about her, but in general, given what he’s going through, I thought it a pretty compelling interview.

In particular, one thing he handled better than I could have imagined: Joanna Angel’s allegations about him. She has called him horrible names, called him “dead inside,” and generally impugned him as a human. She also dated him for more than five years. In my mind, this is poor form, and raises more questions – about her – than it answers – about him. In return, he said nothing but nice things about her, revealing that he at least understands what it is to be a class act. (Not saying he is a class act, but saying he understands, in this context, what it is to be one.)

None of which, honestly, changes my general sense. He has to do a lot of work to get over this. And this interview is an o.k. first step. But he’s got a lot more to do before I watch him perform again.